Mines minister on weeklong working visit to Littoral, South West.

Speaking as he started the visit, Prof Fuh Calistus reiterated government’s resolve to improve the living condition of citizen by reducing the high cost of consumer goods.

According to the minister, the government of President Paul Biya is concerned by the high cost of consumer goods such as cement, tiles, whisky, iron rods, and other products in the market. 

The visit is intended to present the government's efforts to reduce the price of cement in Cameroon, assess the compliance of certain companies to the standards and norms of the sector and take stock of challenges faced by the operators. 

The member of government, while in Littoral, is being accompanied by the Governor of the Region, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, and the Acting Director General of Cameroon’s Standards and Quality Agency known by its French acronym, ANOR, Chantal Andely née Ndomo Ndongo. 

On day one of working visit, Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry and his entourage visited two main facilities at the MAGZI industrial zone in Bonabéri-Douala.

He first inspected the industrial plant of the BOCOM Holdings dealing in importation and exportation of petroleum products, mining, transport and logistics. He later inspected the production plant of Fortune Industry Ltd dealing in the production of whiskies.

Bright future for Cameroon

Speaking to the press at the end of his first day of the working visit, the member of government assured compatriots of a “bright future” as government is taking ample measures to ensure that inflated prizes of consumer goods produce locally drop and become affordable for all. 

In this regard, he said a number of projects have taken off while others are soon to be launched in the mining and industrial sectors, which will proffer solutions to certain products. 

“The future is bright. I want to assure all Cameroonians that Cameroon is under construction... So, we have come to assure Cameroonians that the government is working to better their lives,” he said.

Citing the case of cement amongst other consumer goods, the minister said government has begun negotiations to considerably reduce the price of clinker, which is the main input used in cement production, by boosting local clinker production. 

According to him, new measures are also being introduced to replace clinker with less expensive materials such as clay in cement production. 

He indicated that this is line with government’s import-substitution policy implemented by his ministry to make life easier for citizens. 

Apart from substituting clinker, he highlighted the tile production units by the KEDA company in Kribi, South Region as well as Souza in the Littoral Region.

“Today we are at BOCOM who are doing their very best in the import substitution scenario. We will visit new tiles factory we’re trying to develop. We are going to visit a place where we are developing and manufacturing new gaz bottles,” he affirmed. 

Emphasis on respect of quality

During the visit, Prof Calistus emphasis on the respect standards and quality of equipment and produce. 

“We will continue to insist on quality, which is why Director General ANOR is with us to see that rods, whisky and any others that we are producing comply with the norms,” he said.  

During a stopover at Fortune Industry production plant, the minister instructed officials of the company to fast-track the complete switch of the packaging of whiskies from sachets to bottles, in compliance with the ban of sachet whiskies, which will go into effect from 2026. 

He also expressed dissatisfaction over reports of high level of alcohol content and the presence of sucrose in marketed drinks by the Fortune company.

In order to guarantee the quality of products placed on the market, experts from the ministry took samples of the products offered on the market for further analysis, to ensure compliance with standard NC210/2014-48 in technical regulation.  

Mission to extend to Tiko 

It was also revealed that the visit to companies in Douala will also be extended to Tiko, Fako Division of the South West Region with plans underway for the transformation of rubbers into tyre by the state-owned Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.

“We will be in the South West to assure the people of that region to take their rightful place, get down to work and make the South West to be pivot for the industry of this country,” the minister announced. 

“We want to produce tyres from the rubber of CDC. We want to inaugurate the new factory that is going to produce drinks and other agro-alimentary products,” he added. 

Beside the tyre production plant, the member of government assured the population of the South West Region of another major project; a trans-frontal gaz project, which will be constructed between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon through the South West Region.

Challenges industries face

During the visit, the Chief Executive Officer of BOCOM Group, Dieudonné Bougne, who doubles as President of the Association of Enterprises of the Magzi Industrial Zones of Douala, EZIMAD, enumerated a number of challenges facing companies in the industrial estate. 

He outlined problems ranging from conditions of roads, parking space, toilet amongst others.

“Despite some cosmetic measures, and in this case on the occasion of your visit, companies are incurring significant maintenance costs due to the deterioration of vehicles as a result of the impassability of the roads,” he complained.

Going by the EZIMAD president, the haphazard parking of lorries in the area makes it difficult, if not impossible, to gain access to the facilities especially for the fire brigade and emergency services to intervene when need arise.

“It should also be noted that an industrial estate such as this, which attracts thousands of people every day, requires essential infrastructure such as public toilets, suitable car parks and catering facilities. The absence of these essential amenities creates discomfort for workers and visitors alike, and can adversely affect the overall efficiency of the industrial estate and the performance of businesses,” Bougne frowned.

In addition, he said the lack of street lighting system poses a real threat to the safety of workers especially during night shift.

“The energy situation in the area is a cause for concern, with frequent micro-outages and prolonged blackouts forcing us to rely too often on generators, which adds to our operating costs while damaging our production equipment” he further bemoaned.

State-of-the-art lubricant production plant in view

During the visit at the BOCOM facilities, it was announced that the company is in the process of finalising the construction of a state-of-the-art lubricant production plant, designed to meet the needs of both the automotive and industrial sectors.

The said plant is expected to be equipped with a modern laboratory capable of analysing not only BOCOM’s products, but all types of petroleum products, including crude oil from other companies.

The expected plant with a production capacity of 33,000 tonnes per year, is in line with supporting the vision of Head of State in his policy of import-substitution, by producing for Africa in general, and the CEMAC zone in particular. 

Meanwhile, the minister will this Tuesday visit a cement manufacturing factory amongst other industrial plants in Douala. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3267 of Tuesday October 22, 2024